78 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Akt. VIII. — Notes on New 'Zealand Galaxidae, more espe- 

 cially those of the Wester^i Slopes : with Descriptions of 

 Neiu Species, <&c. 



By F. E. Clarke. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, IMh March, 1899.] 



Plates IV. and V. 



Though the common eels are almost the most ubiquitous 

 of our fiesh-water fishes (in spite of statements made that 

 in some streams the prevalence of waterfalls prevents their 

 passage to the upper waters), due merit must also be given 

 to the equal or greater prevalence of more or less varieties 

 of the GalaxidcB. As our Islands are famed for remains 

 of varieties of struthious birds, so we should gatlier ichthyo- 

 logical fame for the great number of varieties of these fishes, 

 and it would be most interesting if evidence should be 

 obtained of their geological existence also. It is a most 

 engaging family, not only on account of its affinities with 

 or resemblance to the SahnonidcB and Esocidce, but also on 

 account of its known extended habitat in the Southern 

 Hemisphere — Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, 

 Queensland, Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Chili, 

 Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and Falkland Islands. 



The family certainly arrives at its greatest known develop- 

 ment in our Islands, and its least— as far as has been described 

 at present — in the southern parts of South America. 



One of the members of the family — G. attenuatus — 

 periodically descends to the sea in January, February, and 

 March, where it spawns, returning in March, April, and May. 

 The young begin to make their appearance in the rivers 

 sometimes as early as the end of June, but they definitely 

 commence to arrive in August, the shoals increasing in 

 size and number in September and October, and keep practi- 

 cally unmixed with other fry until the end of October. At 

 this time, and in November, the shoals begin and continue to 

 consist of a mixed character — fry of Eleotris, Beiroinnnce, and 

 Prototroctcs forming a greater percentage of them till the in- 

 run ends. The young fry of Eleotris in November are thickly 

 swarming. They and the fry of the Retropinna evidently 

 follow the fry of G. attemiatiis until they are large enough to 

 prey on them. Frequently you will see small or tiny Betro- 

 pinncB or Eleotris with a half-gorged whitebait sticking out of 

 their mouths almost equalling in size the swallowers. 



